The Wedding: Jamie and Ran

I will start by explaining that, although there was an official photographer, I have not seen the official photos yet. In any case only a few might be of limited interest to you, my readers. My iPhone was being used to video the ceremony.

The setting was an established smallish Edinburgh hotel called The Bonham, in Drumsheugh Gardens within easy walking distance of Princes Street usually regarded as the centre of the city. It's a large old house in what was the area where the early, wealthy barons of commerce and industry lived. It is, I think redecorated in the style of the period and is more like a manor house than a hotel. Oddly it has two front doors. 

The Bonham Hotel, Edinburgh

The 'wedding' was actually a Celebration of the Marriage which had taken place in New Zealand where they live. This was a celebration for the close family and friends who live in this country. 

My hotel, one of the B+B chain,  was a few doors away and was, I think, mainly occupied by wealthy Americans. 

I only have a few photos of me and, unfortunately, I don't have any feet in any of them. There was a reason. It was later in the day and Catriona (now called Cat) had changed from her wedding shoes into trainers. At least she didn't appear 2" taller than me. It would have helped if I had at least straightened my sporan but, hey ho, wotthehellarchiewotthehell.

The first time I wore Highland Dress was at my son's wedding almost 10 years  ago to the month. I'll do separate posts on Highland Dress and on the importance of Catriona in my life soon.

A Journey

For someone who used to 'commute' for 6 months of the year to my other life in New Zealand I find it strange to have to accept that I now find the idea of flying to Edinburgh and staying in a hotel for a couple of nights to go to a wedding quite stressful. Have I got everything I need in my kilt bag? I know I've got my kilt but..... It's not the flying and I'd be okay if it was Glasgow Airport. Edinburgh Airport was always a nightmare even in the long ago days when I attended many meetings at The Scottish Office in Edinburgh. Even my son who is used to international travel on a scale I never even dreamt of can't stand Edinburgh Airport. Ho hum. Time will tell. I'll be on my way to Stornoway Airport in 40 minutes.

My hotel is in the centre of Edinburgh very near the wedding hotel. I'll be going in on the high-speed tram from the airport to the centre of Edinburgh. 

A kilt is very heavy when you are carrying it.  Highland dress is hot and heavy when you're wearing it. Here's hoping for a cool day tomorrow....and a dry one.

I'm back on Friday and my New Zealand Family arrive on Saturday. 

It's going to be a busy and enjoyable few weeks ahead.

Hopefully at least I'll have something interesting to blog about.

A Tiny Bit of Old Edinburgh

Whist I was down in Glasgow recently I took the new fast electric train to Edinburgh to have lunch with David, a long-time friend and former colleague who has featured many times on this Blog with his dog Molly (who is still fit and well). One of my favourite posts is here. We had lunch in a small French café called La Barantine Victoria in the Grassmarket area. I didn't take a photos so have used one from Google.

I used to spend a lot of time in Edinburgh and had various friends including, for a while, David (pre-Molly) who lived there. I spent some of the morning wandering round some old haunts many of which seemed to have disappeared or been swallowed up by the plethora of new eateries being fueled by the huge influx of tourists.

Most of my exploring was in the region of The Royal Mile:

I was rather sad to see the need, which is now universal it would seem, to protect pedestrians from vehicle terrorism.

There was a Schools Climate Change march. Two things about it rather surprised me: it's examination time and many of the particupants were obviously a great deal older than school age.

Glasgow's Miles Better

I think that one of the best slogans ever was Glasgow's Miles Better (Glasgow Smiles Better) used by Glasgow in its Mr Happy Campaign. I recall many years ago Jenni Murray or Sue MacGregor on Radio 4's Today programme commenting (in a perfect Edinburgh accent) on it when Edinburgh was trying to find one. She came up with "Edinburgh's Quite Nice". Sums it up rather well really. Anyway, as I was saying, Glasgow's miles better. I could go on about all the improvements over the 40 years I have been visiting the City but they are too numerous. Suffice to say the whole ambience of the City has changed. It is now a wonderful and vibrant place. I wish that Liverpool could have achieved a fraction of what Glasgow has achieved. One of the many things they do really well is eateries. Now sitting out with your coffee on the pavement in Glasgow is not, on the whole, going to happen in the way it does in Napier or any other place in New Zealand for that matter. However Glasgow does have its own version of al fresco eating and sitting:

Buchanan Galleries

Princes Square

Again

Sometimes I just sits